What’s the difference between Louboutin’s So Kate and Pigalle high heels?

Christian Louboutin’s new So Kate 5 inch stiletto heels have created quite a stir, with the designer’s website even asserting that So Kate is “sure to gather a following just as devoted” as Louboutin’s iconic Pigalle shoes.

That’s quite a claim given that Louboutin has himself described the classic, low-cut Pigalle as “the design that encapsulates my career.”

So what’s the difference between the Pigalle and So Kate? You can see the Pigalle and So Kate compared in the animation above, where the Pigalle is the completely black shoe and the So Kate is a lighter, red / black shade (“rouge noir” in Louboutin language).

The biggest difference between the two shoes is the heel. Both heels are 5 inches high (120 mm), however the So Kate has a significantly thinner heel than the Pigalle.

The “pitch” of the shoe (basically a measure of the steepness) is greater with the So Kate as well.

The other differences are much more subtle. The toe is slightly more pointy on the So Kate than on the Pigalle (the So Kate looks a little more like Jimmy Choo’s Anouk in this respect). And the toe vamp is slightly longer on the So Kate as well.

The net effect, though, is that both the So Kate and Pigalle show pretty much the same amount of Louboutin’s famous toe cleavage (the longer vamp is offset by the pointier toe on the So Kate meaning the foot doesn’t go quite as deep into the toe box).

Of course, there are many similarities between the Pigalle and So Kate as well. I have already mentioned that both have a 5 inch (120mm) heel, although the Pigalle is also available in shorter, more practical heel heights.

Both shoes have the same price tag – $625 for US customers online. And both can be difficult to get your hands on because of their popularity.

Finally, early reports are that the So Kates fit about the same as Pigalles and are much the same to wear, perhaps even slightly easier for some (the higher pitch is said to reduce heel slippage).

Have fun playing spot the difference but, whichever you choose, they are both very beautiful shoes. Pigalle turned 10 years old in 2014 and has been voted one of our all-time designer classics. So Kate seems destined to go the same way.